The ex-health secretary says politicians should “go where the people are” and not “sit in ivory towers”.
Image source, Getty ImagesMatt Hancock has defended his decision to appear on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! – saying the TV show is a “powerful tool” to reach young people.
Writing in the Sun, the former health secretary said politicians must “go where the people are” and not “sit in ivory towers in Westminster”.
“I haven’t lost my marbles or had one too many pina coladas,” he wrote.
Mr Hancock was suspended as a Conservative MP after party managers took a dim view of his decision.
Simon Hart, the Conservative chief whip, said the West Suffolk MP’s decision to take part in a reality TV show while Parliament was sitting was “serious enough” to warrant the suspension. He remains as an independent MP on full pay.
Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman also said the prime minister believes “MPs should be working hard for their constituents, whether that is in the House or in their constituency”.
But Mr Hancock has rejected the criticisms, writing that it is the job of politicians to engage with people.
“Rather than looking down on reality TV, we should see it for what it is — a powerful tool to get our message heard by younger generations. In fact, I think it’s patronising to hear some say reality TV is beneath a politician.
“It’s as clear as day that politicians like me must go to where the people are — particularly those who are politically disengaged. We must wake up and embrace popular culture.”
Mr Hancock isn’t the first politician to enter the jungle – he follows in the footsteps of former Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and ex-Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale.
But critics have attacked the MP over his impending three-week absence from Parliament, at a time when energy costs are spiralling, the government is facing a budgetary “black hole” and the war in Ukraine rages on.
Mr Hancock said he had turned down two offers from producers in the summer “because of the instability government was facing at the time”.
But he said with Mr Sunak now in post as prime minister, the political climate was “stable” enough to allow him to take up the opportunity – and he said he has agreed with the show’s producers he can be reached at any point on any urgent constituency matters.
The former cabinet minister said he doesn’t expect to serve in government again, but hopes to use his time in the jungle to raise awareness about dyslexia – which he has himself.
But the campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice called Mr Hancock’s decision “sickening”, and urged ITV to remove him from the programme.
The group tweeted: “Matt Hancock isn’t a ‘celebrity’, he’s the former health secretary who oversaw the UK having one of the highest death tolls in the world from Covid-19 whilst breaking his own lockdown rules.”
And Conservative MP Tim Loughton said Mr Hancock had been an “absolute prat” and losing the Tory whip was “the least he deserves”.
Others have expressed amusement at the thought of the former minister being subjected to the show’s notorious bushtucker trials.
Andy Drummond, deputy chairman of the West Suffolk Conservative Association, said he was looking forward to seeing Mr Hancock “eating a kangaroo’s penis”.
You can quote me on that,” Mr Drummond added.